HEREFORD kayaker Claire Spencer has been picked to represent Great Britain in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Italy.

The event, which is being held for the eighth time and takes place every other year, gets underway on Saturday in Lignano and continues until July 9.

Spencer is one of a 56-strong British squad which will compete in seven sports - athletics, canoeing, cycling, gymnastics, judo, swimming and tennis.

She will be racing in the K1 event and then teaming up in the K2 to compete with Jessica Walker of the Royal Canoe Club, London.

This will be the first time in the festival's history that canoeing has featured - and Spencer is one of only two girls and five boys selected by the British Canoe Union.

The event is organised by the International Olympic Association and the British team is sponsored by Adidas. All of the athletes will stay in the Olympic village in Lignano and travel out to their various venues.

Spencer, who this week received a bursary from Ready Steady Win which will enable her to buy a new set of racing paddles, clinched her selection with a pair of personal best performances with the junior British team at the international three-day sprint regatta in Bochum.

She won her way into the B final of the K1 1,000-metres and won in a time of 4 mins 21 secs, giving her the fastest time for the British girls.

Her second personal best came when she teamed up with Walker in the K2 500-metres with their time of 1 min 56 secs giving them a sixth place finish in the final.

Spencer also clinched a bronze medal, teaming up with four other team members in the K4 500m event.